State Sen. George Maziarz (R-Newfane), “the highest ranking Polish-American member of the State Senate,” issued a statement late Thursday on President Barack Obama’s reference on Tuesday to “Polish death camps” during the awarding of a Presidential Medal of Freedom on Jan Karski, a hero of the Polish resistance to the Nazis. The comment prompted loud complaints from Polish politicians and Polish-American groups. The White House expressed regret for Obama’s “misstatement,” and the president wrote a formal letter of apology to Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski.

Here’s Maziarz’s statement, which calls for the sort of formal letter the White House issued:

“Like many Polish-Americans, I was deeply hurt to hear President Obama on Wednesday refer to Nazi concentration camps in occupied Poland as ‘Polish death camps.’ His remarks were not only insensitive but deeply misinformed. I sincerely hope he will offer a formal apology.

“President Obama’s comments have caused an outcry in Poland, and understandably so. The Polish Prime Minister has now called for the president to explain what exactly he meant. President Obama owes it to the people of Poland to offer his own, personal apology and explanation.”

About Capitol Confidential

Capitol Confidential gathers the best coverage of New York politics and puts it all together. Each section - Capitol, The State Worker, New York on the Potomac, and Voices - represents a unique facet of the political scene. The Capitol section features coverage from the Times Union Capitol bureau. The State Worker is dedicated to state worker issues. New York on the Potomac offers news of interest to New Yorkers from Washington. And Voices features the best of everything else, pointing you to columnists and bloggers from across the Web.